Political Animals
by ellefraser17
Summary: What happens after Oliver becomes Mayor of Star City? Budgets and political agendas are the least of his worries.
1. Chapter 1

I started writing this several weeks ago after binge watching the first two season of The West Wing. My intention is to continue with several short chapters, each a vignette of Oliver's term as Mayor. It may only be a few chapters or it may turn into something a little longer, who knows.

* * *

 **STAR CITY ELECTS FORMER PLAYBOY AS MAYOR**

 _Lucy Emmerstein, blogger_

 _Huffington Post_

Posted: May 26, 2016 11:34:05 Updated: May 26, 2016 13:15:44

During what can only be described as a highly charged political year here in the U.S. some smaller and lesser known candidates for public office have caught the attention of this author.

Take for instance the mayoral race in Star City, Washington, a city that in four short years was the victim of not only a manmade earthquake but three terrorist attacks and has had not one but three former mayor's fall at the hands of said attackers. This is a city where a name change and a masked vigilante couldn't stop the flow of crime from invading its streets, from families fleeing for the sunnier disposition of its prom queen neighbour , Central City, or stem the tide of failing businesses from shutting up shop and laying off workers.

So, when former billionaire playboy and renowned party-boy Oliver Queen threw his hat in the political arena last fall in an attempt to 'save his city' many – this author included – were skeptical.

For those readers unfamiliar with Mr. Queen, he is the only son of the late Robert & Moira Queen, a four-time college dropout, and a one-time darling of the paparazzi before a tragic accident stranded him on an island in the North China Sea from where he was finally rescued five years later. Since his return to the then named Starling City, he has appeared in public intoxicated, opened a night club in the roughest part of town and even took a turn as CEO of his family's company, Queen Consolidated, before losing everything (including most of his personal wealth) after a serious of bad business decisions.

Despite his rugged good looks, obvious charm and former status as a darling of the upper echelon of Star City society this author had to wonder at Mr. Queen's true intentions after his mayoral candidacy was announced. The speeches were good, his appearances plenty – the man rocked a tux at the policeman's benefit – even his personal life became fodder for the local headlines when only hours after surviving a kidnapping attempt his girlfriend quickly changed her status to finance after saying "yes" during an idyllic Christmas Tree lighting ceremony.

Needless to say many were shocked when Mr. Queen dropped out of the race a few short months into the New Year and publicly endorsed his opponent. However, we were barely left with a moment to consider the why's when he was suddenly back in and going full steam ahead to a landslide victory in last night's election. Not only did Mr. Queen win by a considerable margin, he did so with a 73% of the popular vote, a number rarely seen even in local politics.

Mr. Queen's time in office will be fraught with turbulence and crucial decisions needing his undivided attention – a crumbling local economy, a police force in desperate need of overhaul, a fire department steeped in scandal, a dismal lack of attractions meant to lure tourists and a city hall with a year's' worth of paperwork laying incomplete.

So, now that Star City has yet another new mayor, a young inexperienced one with little to recommend him and a history of bad choices, this author wants to know, what does he do first?

Inquiring mind wants to know.

* * *

"Throwing the first pitch at a _baseball_ game?"

Felicity tried to keep the incredulity out of her voice but, really, how was she expected to when her finance, the newly elected mayor of Star City had just informed her that his first act would be to throw a ball.

Seriously?

"Well, it is the Rockets," Digg deadpanned, one eyebrow and a corner of his mouth lifting, threatening to betray him.

Felicity threw up her hands in frustration. The fascination with baseball, _Oliver's_ fascination with it, was something she would never understand. She would rather connect to the internet using dial-up than be forced to endure another baseball game.

"Digg's right, Felicity," Thea interrupted, her new position as Oliver's press secretary evident in her tone and posture. "Besides it's sending a positive message to the public. Something we need to maintain now that the threat of HIVE has been eliminated."

If she looked skeptical at Thea's words it was hardly surprising. She swung her attention back to Oliver.

"Is this really about the public or more about fulfilling some adolescent fantasy?"

Oliver shrugged and attempted to appear apologetic for using the opportunity to his own advantage. "Why can't it be both?" Despite what she perceived as his idiocy she didn't pull away when he grasped her hands and squeezed ever so reassuringly. "Listen, it's a simple pitch at a baseball game. I throw the ball, shake hands with the team and get to spend a few hours relaxing in the owner's box watching the game. After everything we've been through recently, don't we deserve this?"

Felicity eyebrows shot up at his use of the word _we_. _We_ did deserve an afternoon of fun. _We_ did deserve to not have to worry about people trying to kill them. But _we_ didn't all like baseball. She tolerated it for his sake.

"Okay so maybe _we_ wasn't the right thing to say," he conceded.

"You think?"

"Felicity…" he started.

She shook her head. "No, you're right. If throwing a ball in front of a couple thousand people _and_ in front of live TV makes you happy, then well…I'm happy." Even if it meant an afternoon at the ballpark with bad hot dogs, the smell of stale beear and Oliver out of his seat every time his team was at bat.

The grin on his face was so wide it threatened to split his face in two.

"Of course it doesn't hurt that the Rockets are playing Central City," Thea added with a smirk. "Their mayor called this morning to suggest a friendly wager."

Felicity frowned. A wager between rival mayors didn't sound all that friendly to her. "Please tell me you didn't do anything stupid?"

Oliver opened his mouth to speak but quickly changed whatever direction he'd about to go in and tilted his head in response. "What makes you say that?"

She snorted. "Because I have a master's degree from the Oliver Queen School of Bad Decisions [LP2] and personal experience tells me you did something you're going to regret."

He smiled at her ruefully before leaning in and placing a swift gentle kiss on her disapproving mouth. "It's a simple wager. What could possibly go wrong?"

* * *

 **STAR CITY MAYOR FLASHES HIS LOVE AFTER PUBLIC DEFACEMENT**

 _Lucy Emmerstein, blogger_

 _Huffington Post_

Posted: May 30, 2016 19:17:33

It is hardly what one would call customary for a political leader (or celebrity) to throw the first pitch in a baseball game. However when you're a newly elected mayor with a huge public approval rating you do as asked and throw.

Apparently not all of Star City's "residents" got the memo.

Mr. Queen, who's first act as leader of the beleaguered city was to perform the ceremonial duty just three short days after winning the election, took to the field at Rocket's stadium this past Saturday casually dressed for an afternoon at the ballpark – baseball jersey and jeans, his face a mixture of boyish charm and determination. With the game being televised and the stadium packed with fans of both The Rockets and the Central City Stars, all eyes were on Mayor Queen as he took to the mound and after a few warm up arm swings (sideline – what is up with those forearms Mr. Mayor?) he wound up and let the ball fly.

Directly into the visiting team's dugout, knocking out their ball boy and narrowly missing their star player.

Instant replay from several angles clearly showed the reasoning behind the wild pitch to be one white feathered friend (AKA a Star City seagull) swooping in and with precision timing, droppinged a "bomb" on the Mayor just seconds before the ball let loose – down one side of his face.

Sports commentators and media personnel later all agreed on one thing – if Mr. Queen had been wearing a hat, the results would have been far less disastrous and perhaps the (rumoured) tetanus shot his finance insisted he be given wouldn't have been necessary.

Unfortunately the Mayor missed the first five innings of the game, presumably for cleanup and washing purposes. Having never experienced bird excrement dropped on their head, this author can only assume that it took considerable effort and scrubbing to remove the offending material from Mr. Queen's visage. When he final returned to the game, in the owner's box no less, the Mayor spent little time in his seat and most out of it, cheering on his beloved Rockets, clearing showing he was none the worse for wear after his humiliating debacle.

In the end, all the encouragement couldn't propel the Rockets to victory and after what can only be described as a barnburner, they came up one run short after twelve long innings and walked off the field, the celebration sounds of their opponents following them to the locker room.

Mayor Queen, addressed the media after the game saying, "The Rockets played well today and should hold their heads up high despite the loss." No comments were made regarding the bird incident in spite of the numerous questions fired his way.

It was only after the game that the public was made aware of a secret but friendly bet made between the mayors of the opposing city's teams.

For what other earthly reason would Mayor Oliver Queen have to show up at city hall on Monday not sporting his customary suit but a red t-shirt, white lightning bolt insignia emblazoned in the center surrounded by the words, I LOVE THE FLASH.

To paraphrase Star City's vigilante, Mayor Queen you have failed your city.


	2. Chapter 2

**MAYOR GETS WET & WILD FOR CHARITY**

 _Lucy Emmerstein, blogger_

 _Huffington Post_

Posted: July 5, 2016 5:21:38

The 4th of July, a time for marching bands, fireworks, parades and flag waving – all of which were proudly on display as Star City threw the biggest and most extravagant holiday celebration in the city's 106 year history with the newly elected Mayor at the center.

Beginning the day with a business leader's breakfast hosted by Palmer Tech CEO Felicity Smoak, the Mayor's fiancé, the soon-to-be first couple of Star City were ushered from pillar to post, parade to photo op, pie judging to…dunk tank?

Following what could only be described as the longest and slowest moving parade through the downtown core perched atop a float in the shape of a giant crown, Mr. Mayor and the lovely Ms. Smoak arrived at the city's water front area where only seven months ago he first proposed. The summer holiday scenery was a far cry from a simple tree lighting ceremony – carnival rides for kids and skill challenge games rigged from anyone winning the coveted large stuffed teddy (the local TV channel did catch the Mayor at the ring tossing tent and there were reports of Ms. Smoak being seen with her arm around a ridiculously sized fluffy bear). There were also tents offering every variety of fair food imaginable and unimaginable (deep fried Twinkie anyone?), but mostly there were plenty of families mingling about, laughing and happy enjoying the rare Star City sunshine.

And a Mayor and his girl, just as happy and sunny as everyone else.

At least until a certain sibling/press secretary hauled her big brother away only for him to reappear as the star attraction of the Charity Dunk Tank.

With a frown and pinched look that made him appear older than his 31 years, Mr. Queen grudgingly took a seat at the place of honour perched above a tank of icy water, his suit replaced with swimming trunks and black t-shirt (many a lady were disappointed with the colour choice, hoping for white instead). A mere two dollars bought you the opportunity to drench the much loved Mayor, with all proceeds going to the expansion of the local animal shelter, and with dollar bills in hand, a long line quickly formed.

Of course one's little sister, commandeering a bullhorn and announcing the event with a fanfare rarely seen outside of a circus tent, most likely piqued the interest of many of the residents who waited for their turn to watch the Mayor get wet.

Oddly, nearly all the participants were female. A local reporter's interviews with several ladies in line revealed many knew Mr. Queen before his five year island sojourn and six of them were in fact championship softball players from Starling Prep who all inferred a deeper (and more intimate) knowledge of the Mayor during his misspent youth. All six purchased slews of tickets and all hit their mark with the ball sending their classmate falling into the water-filled tank.

Mayor Queen's sacrifice in the name of charity garnered a whopping $10,000 (one lady wrote a check for half the total raised just for the privilege of watching her granddaughter attempt to drown the Mayor), and was the clear winner of the day's events with the elder Ms. Smoak's kissing booth coming in second raising a total of $6,000 for local soup kitchens and homeless shelters. Donna Smoak, mother-in-law to-be of Star City's Mayor graciously stepped in to give kisses after Miss Star City 2016 Brittany Duncan was reportedly arrested the night before during pre-holiday celebrations for drug possession with intent to sell, public lewdness and solicitation. Miss Duncan had been scheduled to not only man the kissing booth and give a speech on the power of young women in today's society (the irony's so thick you could cut it with a butter knife) but also to ceremoniously light the fireworks with the Mayor.

Other notable charity events during the day included the strong man competition led by Mr. John Diggle, the Mayor's head of security, a pie throwing contest staring police Captain Quentin Lance as the target, and a video game showdown featuring the younger Ms. Smoak taking on any and all who would challenge her to a game of the classic, Donkey Kong. Charitable donations reportedly totalled just over $20,000 and every dollar will go to help those in need.

We imagine the wounded and lost animals of Star City especially want to thank Mayor Queen for getting wet for the wild kingdom and those females in attendance who were not former flames of the Mayor's would also like to give thanks for the spectacular wet t-shirt and shorts look he sported after emerging from the tank. Those forearms alone could make a girl sing Hallelujah.

Amen sister.

* * *

 **NEWEST STAR CITY RESIDENT FLIPS FOR MAYOR**

 _Lucy Emmerstein, blogger_

 _Huffington Post_

Posted: September 17, 2016 8:15:41

Never let it be said that a political leader is afraid to dive deep when it comes to the welfare of their citizens.

Or in the case of Star City's mayor, fall unceremoniously into a dolphinarium.

Several months after winning the mayoral race, Mayor Oliver Queen was on hand to personally welcome the newest addition to his struggling city. Miss Suzie, a seven year-old bottlenose dolphin on loan from the Metropolis aquarium for a reported ten years made her splashing debut yesterday at Star City's newly renovated water arena. Public debate was sparked after the announcement from city hall of the deal and controversy surrounded the much-loved Mayor when he disclosed the financial details surrounding the aquarium's sorely needed renovations required to make a safe and happy home for Suzie, not to mention the picketing and hate mail he received from animal rights activists.

However, judging from her reaction to the city's beloved Mayor, she appreciated his efforts. Or perhaps not?

The dolphin who arrived at her new home more than a week ago, performed tricks and flips a plenty following a pool-side press conference by Mr. Queen, who regrettably, wore the most non-sensible footwear in the history of politics. Simply slipping on the wet slick concrete would be far too easy for a mere mortal and the Mayor displayed legendary sure footedness keeping his firmly planted and his body upright.

Until Miss Suzie took a shine to him in such a way that would have even the most agile and athletic of men upended and needing a helping hand.

With the press conference finished, Mr. Mayor carefully made his way along the pool edge to where the dolphin's trainer was praising the mammal. At the request of the media (and most assuredly his sister and press secretary) the mayor crouched down on the other side of Suzie, with his hand on her head and his back to the water and showed his dazzling smile and pearly whites while cameras flashed and videos were shot all in the name of posterity. Miss Suzie, having never been exposed to the media and only newly trained for a life in the animal entertainment industry began moving her snout furiously up and down, splashing the Mayor and causing plenty of laughs at her supposed enthusiasm.

Whether it was stage fright, or her aversion to the flashing cameras, or perhaps her close proximity to a man who mere months ago was named one of the North West's ten sexiest Politian's, the dolphin proceeded to butt her beaklike snout repeatedly against Mr. Queen's posterior until the man was unable to hold himself upright and with one final push of her head slid sideways, his body going only one way but down.

If Suzie had swam away or ceased her assault on the Mayor, he would have been wet surely, but being the young show dolphin she was took full advantage of the media attention to display her more playful skill set and with Mr. Queen distracted and falling used her full strength to insert herself underneath his legs and push upwards.

Mr. Queen could have had a promising career as a gymnast if his backflip into the pool is any judge.

How he emerged from the dolphin pool with a bloody gash on his head remains a mystery, although from the angle of Star City's Channel 52 News the Mayor was precariously closer to the edge of the concrete pool than was previous thought.

It's hard not to feel sympathy for Mr. Queen who was, yet again, the victim of an adventurous animal and the subject of a very public drowning, but perhaps the empathy should be directed at his bodyguard and head of security, Mr. John Diggle who raced to the edge of the pool after his boss and close friend fell ass over tea kettle. The poor man looked so perplexed if he should jump in or draw his gun (no animals were harmed in the making of his article).

Local news reported after the incident that Mr. Queen was taken to Starling Hospital, the cut on his head requiring a rumoured fifteen stitches.

Miss Suzie, meanwhile was moved to a smaller holding tank while the show arena was drained and cleaned after the water was contaminated with the Mayor's blood.

One now has to wonder if the reported millions of dollars spent to bring the animal to Star City and revitalize the struggling and aging aquarium was money well spent.

Mr. Queen now has to be asking himself that very question.


	3. Chapter 3

**GETTING LOOSE & LIMBER WITH MAYOR McHOTTIE**

 _Lucy Emmerstein, blogger_

 _Huffington Post_

Posted: October 1, 2016 8:44:23

It's said yoga is a practice or discipline of a physical, mental & spiritual nature. Originating in India, it has been widely used as a form of physical exercise in the Western world with an emphasis on strength and flexibility. While it is vastly more popular with women, many men have also discovered the benefits and co-ed classes have been on the rise these last ten years.

But despite the surge in men's yoga, it certainly came as a shock when Star City's Mayoral Office announced that its very own leader, Mr. Oliver Queen, was not only a fan of the activity but an avid practitioner since his return from the island of Lian Yu. The pronouncement was made as part of the Mayor's new health initiative known as "Strong Stars for a Better Tomorrow" and to kick it off the Mayor would be leading an open yoga class at the local YMCA, free to any Star City resident.

Mayor Queen has been the subject of scrutiny and interest after his attempted drowning by Miss Suzie the dolphin last month garnered him national attention when a video of the attack was leaked to YouTube. Sources close to the Mayor have made it known that offers for interviews by the likes of Diane Sawyer and 60 minutes as well as guest appearances on the Tonight Show & the Late Show were all declined. Rumours have also been circulating around the Mayor and a supposed offer from GQ magazine for an in-the-buff two-page photo spread. And whether or not the offer was valid, he has since landed a spot on the magazine's "Most Stylish Men in the World" list for 2016.

Mr. Queen proved himself deserving of the honour at his yoga session after he showed up dressed in trendy Lululemon men's yoga pants and matching dry-weave shirt (and yes ladies it was white this time).

Unfortunately his clothes were probably the only thing elegant about the day.

Upon further thought, one has to wonder if Mr. Mayor was a victim of a sibling prank for it was quite clear early on that his knowledge and practice of the art of yoga was severely lacking.

However, the fifty women privileged enough to attend the event after lining up for hours in the early morning autumn air, would and did disagree. While none praised the Mayor for his yoga accuracy or familiarity (he did win high marks for his attempted warrior stance though), all agreed his heart was in the right place…as well as several other body parts.

The Y's aging boiler system helped to make the session even more memorable when it continued to pump out large amounts of heat – so much so that the yoga class unintentionally turned into hot yoga and while the women were struggling with the increased ambient temperature, the Mayor continued on unruffled with his butchering of yoga poses.

Several women who were lucky enough to garner spots in the front few rows certainly weren't complaining about the heat. As one women said after the session, "He was so close I could smell his sweat. And it was awesome!" "Who knew sweat could smell so good?", another woman added.

So while the Mayor couldn't quite muster a lotus position or his cat pose resembled more cow then feline, he will forever be remembered for his downward dog move after he turned around to demonstrate to the class and offered up his perfectly toned ass for all to see.

Like the fictional McDreamy & McSteamy, Mayor Queen has a new moniker after the day's events – Mayor McHottie.

* * *

 **BREAKING NEWS: STAR CITY MAYOR ATTACKED**

 _Lucy Emmerstein, blogger_

 _Huffington Post_

Posted: October 10, 2016 14:29:05

This just in: Star City Mayor Oliver Queen was the victim of a vicious and heinous attack following a ground-breaking ceremony at the animal shelter this afternoon.

His attacker is described as white, fluffy, approximately nine inches tall, weighing a terrifying ten pounds and answers to the name Fifi.

Let me be clear – this is not a joke. Not entirely anyways.

Mr. Queen was indeed attacked, the victim of a severe tongue lashing and canine enthusiasm not often seen in rescue dogs, this one in particular.

Fifi is widely known in the Star City area for having been rescued by the vigilante known as the Green Arrow six months ago after she was placed in the care of an emergency animal worker. At the time she was described as "skin and bones" and "barely alive" and her progress since was widely reported through a series of articles by the local Gazette. Later determined to be a pure bred Bichon Frise, the dog was named Fifi by the same worker and despite the attachment formed between the dog and her caregiver, the shelter employee was unable to adopt. Once the public was made aware of her lack of adoption status people clamoured to have their name considered as a new home for Fifi.

Alas, after two months and numerous families, Fifi displayed no interest in leaving the shelter and took to nasty growling and snapping of anyone who dared to remove her from her "home".

Enter Mayor Queen who was on hand this afternoon for a ceremonial ground-breaking for the expansion of the animal shelter. As you may recall, Mr. Queen was instrumental in raising funds for the new facility during the 4th of July celebration. After nearly drowning in the dunk tank in the name of charity, it was only right the Mayor be the one to lift the first spade.

If only it had been as simple as shoveling some dirt for the press.

At the insistence of the animal shelter's director and the Mayor's press secretary (those siblings can be pesky creatures), Mr. Queen was persuaded to pose for photos alongside several animals – two greyhounds rescued from a local dog track, a very large cat who'd been found in a dumpster only a month ago, and Fifi.

Due to her aversion to outside people, a shelter employee simply held the small dog in her arms while standing very close to the Mayor during the photo op.

What happened next is a mystery but one minute the dog was calmly in the arms of the animal worker, the next she was sniffing Mr. Queen with vigour. Not long after high pitched barking ensued, Fifi's tail wagging franticly, before she unexpectedly launched herself at the Mayor.

The dog moved quickly and stealthily climbing the Mayor like a tree, happy and content, her small pink tongue darting out to lick him from neck to cheeks, to eyes and even inside his ears and nose.

The photo op was suspended shortly after but not before several hilarious pics were snapped of the man People magazine named one of the North America's hottest politicians brought to heel by a small white dog with undoubtedly the pinkest tongue west of the Mississippi.

Mr. Queen was seen leaving the shelter a short time ago with the dog in tow and the animal shelter director eagerly confirmed to the press that Fifi had indeed been adopted by the Mayor. Speculation as to the animals' sudden love of the Mayor is now running rampant.

But this author is more interested in knowing how the Mayor's fiancé will react to the knowledge he adopted a dog without consulting her.

Let's hope Ms. Smoak is a dog lover. If not, perhaps Mr. Queen will find himself in the proverbial doghouse.


	4. Chapter 4

**Down dog Part 2**

Budget meetings were a slow hell that Felicity had considered, more than once, as a possible information extraction technique.

Because sitting through one certainly had her considering spilling her most intimate secrets in hopes the torture would end.

But like every week since she'd taken the helm at Palmer Tech, she survived. Thank goodness for the bagels because without her phone to distract her from the VP of Marketing's dull presentation deck she would surely have drifted off. Of course, working both night and day to keep the city safe and residents with jobs would strain the attention span of even the most dedicated employee.

So when the meeting finally concluded and she was once again back in her office and her phone back in her hand she was surprised to find a slew of notifications and texts. All of which had one common thread – Oliver.

Inwardly she cringed wondering what the man had gotten himself into this time. Or perhaps more accurately, what his dear sweet sister had signed him up for – the yoga class a prime example. After the incident at the Y and the increasing press coverage of what the Gazette had labelled "The Grand Misadventures of Mayor Queen", Oliver had a long talk with Thea and her penchant for placing him in situations that only heightened his press moniker.

In her future sister-in-laws defense, Felicity had been quick to point out Oliver's own culpability surrounding Miss Suzie and the Rockets game. The result had been a pouty Oliver.

The briefest thought of the dolphin never failed to put a huge smile on her face, remembering the rather graceful way her fiancé had flipped into the water and the sheer glee the mammal had shown at her own cleverness. An animal after her own heart. It wasn't all fun and games however, after the trip to the emergency room and the bitching from Oliver over the stitches that had almost brought out her loud voice.

Felicity shrugged off the trip down odd memory lane and turned her attention back to her phone and the numerous alerts. Scrolling through, she frowned at a text from John suggesting she go easy on Oliver which by itself should've triggered warning bells but it was the headline on the Star City Journal alert that caught her attention.

She tapped the article link and read. Not believing what she was reading, she pressed play on the accompanying video and watched.

She hit refresh and watched it again.

And again.

Sometime during the third re-watch Curtis sauntered in and started talking, something about the T-Sphere but she heard only snippets through white noise buzzing in her head. She hit refresh again.

After the fourth viewing she grabbed her purse and stalked straight past her yammering employee. The hand she held up to stop Curtis from asking too many questions failed her when she was stopped halfway through the glass office doors by him excitedly wishing her congratulations. For his sake, she acknowledged him with only a narrow eyed look before barreling from her office.

She wasn't about to let Curtis in on how she was feeling at that moment. Oh no, that privilege was solely for Mr. Oliver Queen – former playboy billionaire, island cast-away, green leather-wearing crime fighting vigilante turned Mayor. The man who'd promised her months ago, after nearing losing his life to Darhk that he was done with secrets, that blindly making decisions that affected her were a thing of the past, the man she had promised to stand beside when he'd proposed again…the man she saw on that video couldn't possibly be the same.

Nope.

Denial wasn't just a river in Egypt.

She didn't _want_ to believe it. Granted the current situation was a far cry from hiding an illegitimate child, but the principle was the same.

Felicity doubted Oliver would see it the same way.

As she wove through the late afternoon traffic she found herself smacking the steering wheel and babbling to herself.

"He wouldn't do this, just…take a dog home without discussing it with me first. I mean, sure, she's kinda cute, but c'mon, Oliver, what were you thinking?"

She deepened her voice, mimicking Star City's fearless vigilante. "Fel-li-ci-ty…There wasn't any other choice to make."

Maneuvering around a tractor she continued on, switching to her own voice. "There's always another way, Oliver and perhaps asking the woman who, you know, is wearing your ring, the one who's stood beside you through your too-numerous-to-count bad decisions, who has a permanent dislike of the month of May thanks to the continuous parade of big-bads, might be a good idea. Me, Felicity Smoak, CEO and all-around bad ass who thought things like this were behind us. I mean…what…" Her last words trailed off as the frustration that had been building since hearing Oliver had walked out of the animal shelter this afternoon with Fifi tucked under his arm came out in a final whoosh.

And she realized she was parked in front of Oliver's old campaign office. How had that happened? Was it wrong that she barely remembered anything since leaving Palmer Tech? If she'd hit something she would've known, right? This kind of mindless driving came only from too much practice of navigating the same route year after year. Considering it had only been a year since lair 3.0 came online, it was either an impressive feat that she made it from Palmer Tech in a fog or she'd been too distracted by her own frustration over Fifi the fido and her fiancé.

Felicity chuckled over her own alliteration of Oliver's latest disaster. But her mirth quickly died when a face appeared in the office window, one she knew as well as her own. And one that looked decidedly sheepish, boyish and all together hopeful at the same time.

Oliver smiled tentatively at her and even from the care she could detect a hint of his dimples which she knew would be on full display in hopes of diverting her from the matter at hand.

Oh, he had to know she knew. And he had to know she was stalling sitting in the car as she was.

Felicity sighed one last time and checked her rear-view mirror, making sure her face looked appropriately stern and hadn't fallen prey to the dimpled hotness that was Oliver Queen. Satisfied she exited the car, purse in hand, eyes locked on her target and entered the lion's den. Or more appropriately, the dog den.

"Hey," he greeted leaning down to kiss her but she purposefully deflected offering him her cheek to peck instead of her pink painted lips. Oliver frowned.

"Any particular reason you're waiting for me up here instead of downstairs training or fighting or whatever it is you do with those stick-y things of yours?" Going on the offense with Oliver was sometimes the only way to deal with things. Meeting situations head on was her modis operandi whereas Oliver had a tendency to live in the land of deflect and deny.

His frowned deepened making the lines that'd appeared on his face over the last year more prominent. Hands in pockets, he shuffled from one foot to another in a weird sort-of move that always made Felicity wonder if his "I don't dance" proclamation was a load of hoo-ha. Those hips of his sure could sway and do fantastical things when he put his mind to it. Granted those moments always occurred while he was dressed in leather and tying people up or in their bed with her doing the tying up and him in the buff.

"Ugh," she groaned, "stop that, Felicity." She smacked herself in the head in an attempt to clear her head of the sexy path her thoughts had taken her.

Damn him, she cursed silently. Damn him and that jaw of his. Damn him and that sexy stubble.

Felicity growled at herself and ignored the puzzled look and shaking head of the man standing beside her. Remember Fifi, she told herself and visualized the news video and the way the white ball of fluff and strutted her stuff beside Oliver looking far too pleased with her canine self. Remember the dog and how Oliver had unilaterally decided they had to add the complication of a pet to their already chaotic lives.

Remember she loved this man, she told herself, breathing deep. But try as hard as she could a smile just couldn't come to her face. Instead she felt her eyes narrowing and suddenly her nostrils felt twice their normal size.

"I take it you saw the news," he said matter-of-factly and looking grim for the first time since she'd arrived. "Look, I know what you're going to say and there was no other choice to make."

A sarcastic laugh threatened to bubble past her annoyance. Hadn't she said the very same thing to herself in the car?

"Yeah, no." She shook her head. "No, Oliver, you don't get to play that card with me."

Felicity didn't give him a chance to respond, instead deciding to stomp away, her high strappy heals angrily clicking across the deserted campaign office to the secret elevator. She didn't have to look behind her to know Oliver was following in her wake, his own shoes barely audible in that sure footed way of his. Her mind drifted from the matter at hand and remembered all the times he had stealthily snuck up on her. There was that one time in Bali when she'd been in the shower and he'd come from behind all grabby hands and –

"Felicity?"

Irritated at her train of thought she side-eyed him as she stepped on to the elevator. Didn't he know she was trying to keep up her anger? Didn't he know she was annoyed and every related synonym over this dog? Didn't he know how damn adorable he looked being attacked by a barely there dog?

Why was it so hard to stay angry with this man?

"Don't think this changes anything," she huffed. Where had that come from?

Oliver remained tight lipped as they rode down to the lair. But she could practically hear the wheels turning in his head. What was she talking about, he was asking himself. Oh, she knew this man and if she really thought seriously about what had happened that afternoon at the animal shelter she knew he'd only done what he thought was best for the dog, a dog he himself had rescued from an alley way. A dog whose progress he'd kept tabs on since through the newspaper articles.

Felicity's annoyance was melting away with every second and she virtually talked herself out of a good mad at Oliver scenario. Grimacing she snuck a look at him as they stepped off the elevator. With his hands in his pockets and downcast head the last of her resolve to be upset left her.

He looked very much like a kicked puppy at that moment and she didn't have the heart to kick him figuratively over a literal puppy.

"Felicity, I know I should've – "

She pressed her hand to his mouth cutting him off. She sighed, resigned. Perhaps a dog would be a good test of their relationship. Maybe a pet was just what they needed, giving them something else to focus on besides their careers, their vigilante lifestyle, their relationship…

Nothing worthwhile was ever easy.

"You did what you had to do," she said and watched as he visibly relaxed, his shoulders dropping in relief. His mouth curled into an adorable Oliver Queen smile that never failed to make her think of cute baby animals and dirty panty-dropping silk sheet moments. "But we should consider changing her name. I mean, Fifi? What was the shelter thinking? French breed, fou-fou name? Ugh, not as long as she's living with us." She tilted her head in consideration. "What about FTP?" She turned up her nose at the thought. "Too long. Who wants to go around with a name like File Transfer Protocol? Can you just see us at the park calling her? Oh!" She exclaimed excitedly with a sudden epiphany. "What about –"

Oliver chuckled his head shaking in disbelief over her. He moved quickly and pressed his lips to hers, taking the kiss she'd denied him earlier. She lingered, savouring the taste of coffee and love on his lips.

He pulled back but his hand that had crept into hers during the kiss remained there and she loved the way he squeezed reassuringly. "You can name her whatever you want," he said softly.

She finally let herself smile and let the last piece of her irritation that had started at Palmer Tech fade away. Oliver turned and led her up the stairs to the raised dais and her workstation. She was suddenly eager to meet the dog that'd turned her into a pet owner.

But her bad mood returned with a vengeance once she saw the dog sitting, proud as punch on Felicity's chair, tail wagging excitedly at the return of her saviour. The precious ten-pound ball of fluff must've suffered from a severe anxiety attack after Oliver had left to meet Felicity upstairs.

For her once precious computer chair, the one she had spent months getting used to, the one whose mesh back and seat cover comforted her, cradling her stiff back so well…had been ripped to shreds.

Felicity snatched her hand from Oliver's and rounded on him. "You are so buying me a new chair, buster!"

Fifi barked back, a high pitched sound that echoed off the concrete walls of the bunker. Felicity spun towards the dog who continued to pant and drool expectantly, not fazed by her raised voice.

"And you," she pointed at the dog, who suddenly closed her mouth, tail going still. Fifi held Felicity's gaze. "If you even think of chewing on any of my shoes I'll have you back at the shelter living in a cage."

Time stood still while dog and woman conducted a strange sort of a Mexican stand-off.

She willed herself not to blink.

She'd taken down mirakuru men and verbally gone one-on-one with Ra's al Guhl. One small dog would _not_ get the best of her.

Fifi continued to keep eye contact with her.

"Do we have an understanding, dog?" Felicity demanded. She still hadn't moved her eyes from the canine.

Fifi cocked her head to the left as if she understood then pushed herself off the chair with her back legs. Once on the ground she laid on her belly and using her front paws crawled towards Felicity stopping mere inches from her patent-leather toes. The dog dropped her head onto her outstretched legs and regarding Felicity mournfully.

Felicity sighed and couldn't resist bending down to pick up the dog whose big eyes looked sad and regretful much as Oliver's did whenever he'd done something wrong.

She was such a sucker.

"Don't think this makes up for destroying my chair," she admonished the dog who clamoured towards Felicity's face, her pink tongue ready and waiting to attack. "Just for that I should name you Hacker."

Fifi answered with an excited lick of her cheek.

* * *

 **CITY HALL EVACUATED AFTER BRING-YOUR-PET-TO-WORK-DAY GOES AWRY**

 _Lucy Emmerstein, blogger_

 _Huffington Post_

Posted: October 17, 2016 15:38:17

Bring Your Pet to Work days have gained traction and popularity over the past few years with companies such as Google, Etsy and Amazon. Following their lead, Star City Mayor Oliver Queen announced last week that his office would offer the same perk to all city hall employees. A new and first time pet owner himself, Mr. Queen quickly took the opportunity to further foster love and camaraderie with his staff by allowing them to bring their beloved pets to work as part of a trial program.

In hindsight perhaps the Mayor should've been more clearly defined the term "pet".

If he had, perhaps one particular city worker would not have been responsible for immobilizing half the police force, two fire stations and animal control.

Mr. Dirk Cooney, a member of city's IT staff and reptile enthusiast, took Mr. Queen's offer to heart bringing his pet boa constrictor Reggie to work, and while a snake at City Hall would hardly constitute as unusual, a literal snake was not something the Mayor had planned on.

Particularly after the animal managed to escape his cage and enter the building's ventilation system.

Once it was discovered that the snake was on the loose, the fire alarm was pulled by another staff member and the building quickly evacuated. The pandemonium that ensued, after news of the reptile's prison break spread, was described as "disgraceful" by Fire Chief Brody who had strong words for the Mayor's animal initiative.

"Perhaps Mr. Queen's enthusiasm for his new dog overshadowed his sense of responsibility to his employees," Mr. Brody said to the press following the incident this morning at City Hall. He went on to say that "while I applaud the Mayor for his forward thinking practices" and "doesn't want to discourage animals in the workplace", perhaps "limiting the option to cats and dogs would be preferable if he chooses to engage in this kind of fool-hardy behaviour in the future".

The Mayor, who did not directly address the Fire Chief's statement did make one of his own, however taking responsibility for the incident and saying that all non-essential City Hall staff would receive the remainder of the day off with pay. In a show of solidarity with their beloved Mayor, all but a few staff returned to work once the building was cleared for re-entry.

Two and a half hours after the evacuation began, animal control managed to corner and capture the rogue snake who was found inside the 5th floor staff room refrigerator. Unfortunately for Mr. Cooney, Reggie was deemed a safety hazard and was taken into custody by the authorities. There is little hope he will regain ownership of the pet.

In related news, Mrs. Carrigan of the city's Human Resources department is seeking your help in discovering the whereabouts of her cat Snickers, who went missing shortly before the evacuation began.

Mr. Queen has offered a reward for the return of the feline and anyone with information on Snickers is asked to call City Hall or the Star City Police Department directly.

* * *

 **The snake incident is partially based on an actual event that happened at my workplace several years ago. While the snake never got loose, a co-worker did bring in his boa constrictor to show to other employees. How he never got fired, I will never understand.**

 **Hope everyone enjoyed this! I would love to know what you all thought of it.**

 **Come and find me on Tumblr & Twitter under ellefraser17**


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